title: A computer-assisted system for diagnostic workstations: automated bone labeling for CT images.
abstract: Although accurate information on thoracolumbar bone structure is essential when computed tomography (CT) images are examined, there is no automated method of labeling all the vertebrae and ribs on a CT scan. We are developing a computer-aided diagnosis system that labels ribs and thoracolumbar vertebrae automatically and have evaluated its accuracy. A candidate bone was extracted from the CT image volume data by pixel thresholding and connectivity analysis. All non-bony anatomical structures were removed using a linear discriminate of distribution of CT values and anatomical characteristics. The vertebrae were separated from the ribs on the basis of their distances from the centers of the vertebral bodies. Finally, the thoracic cage and lumbar vertebrae were extracted, and each vertebra was labeled with its own anatomical number by histogram analysis along the craniocaudal midline. The ribs were labeled in a similar manner, based on location data. Twenty-three cases were used for accuracy comparison between our method and the radiologist's. The automated labeling of the thoracolumbar vertebrae was concordant with the judgments of the radiologist in all cases, and all but the first and second ribs were labeled correctly. These two ribs were frequently misidentified, presumably because of pericostal anatomical clutter or high densities of contrast material in the injected veins. We are confident that this system can contribute usefully as part of a picture archiving and communication system workstation, though further technical improvement is required for identification of the upper ribs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Nihon University School of Medicine, 30-1 Oyaguchi kami-cho, Itabashi-ku, Tokyo, 173-8610, Japan.
authors.forename: Satoru
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Furuhashi
authors.forename: Katsumi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Abe
authors.forename: Motoichiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Takahashi
authors.forename: Takuya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Aizawa
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shizukuishi
authors.forename: Masakuni
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sakaguchi
authors.forename: Toshiya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Maebayashi
authors.forename: Ikue
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.forename: Mitsuhiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Narata
authors.forename: Yasuo
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sasaki
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000465:Algorithms; D001842:Bone and Bones / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D003952:Diagnostic Imaging / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D007564:Japan; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010363:Pattern Recognition, Automated / Q000379:methods*; D011857:Radiographic Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012272:Ribs / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D009626:Terminology as Topic; D013904:Thoracic Vertebrae / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*